"Saved Seeds" original oil by Elriggs Allen. Inscribed on canvas reverse "In the Navajo tradition the Yei-be-ches were the Spirits who found the 1st human child and raised his as their own feeding? him chants and prayers that are still used this day w/ corn poll en as the offering". I was born in the canyons of Arizona on a cold February morning. my first masterpieces were at the age of I which were mere scratches n the sand. by the age of three I was observing all colors and moved into the field of crayons a medium in which I still dabble at times. by the age of five I was drawing in the art of pencil and engaging in realism. Drawing horse and the land I lived on.......I still have pictures. by the age 10 I had adapted shadowing and lighting my works ....and won small art compactions in my age group. at 15 I had taken in all that public school art course's could offer.. and won several art shows in high school ( new Mexico and Nevada divisions. )I constantly worked at home in my room on my make shift drawing boards. dreaming one day of becoming an artist......then the world crashed...my father passed away and I became a person of fear...I put art away and turn to the world of constant problems...bills..work..time...buying stuffs, losing stuff, wanting more and more....this took me into the life of unconscious living. I lived in the unconscious world of fear for eight years. Till one day I ended homeless in the streets.........I had nothing left to lose.......and it was their in the darkness of life I had a grand vision ans God spoke to me for the very first time " telling me that all life was a dream and a spirit and I should grab it and claim for what I want for that was the purpose of my life.. to live it....to love it."...that night and that moment on the streets of phoenix I changed all my views and pity upon my self...and rose. I came back to the reservation with 1.40 cents in my pocket.......and I started painting on anything I could find....." from elriggsallenart.carbonmade.com. Artist signature below on reverse. 41.5x53".